Pacific Imperial Railroad names Rohal president

Pacific Imperial Railroad (PIR), which runs freight services on the Desert Line, servicing the Tijuana-Tecate region of Baja California, Mexico and eastern San Diego County, has named David Rohal President of the company, effective December 1.

Rohal has 30 years of railroad experience in management, strategic and leadership roles with Class 1 and shortline railroads. He recently held senior positions with both Patriot Rail and RailAmerica.

Rohal stated, "I'm excited to bring this rail line back to life. Pacific Imperial Railroad has a significant opportunity to service the maquiladoras, a dense cluster of manufacturing facilities in northwest Mexico. My goal is to lead PIR to achieve its goal to provide the fastest, most cost efficient and safest opportunity for these companies to move freight by rail."

Pacific Imperial Railroad is close to having a final report on the engineering studies conducted by J.L. Patterson. PIR then plans to engage in a significant upgrade of the line, with a focus on safety and efficiency, while preparing the company to be operational.